Quick acting release device for carbon dioxide fire systems



Aug. 30, 1932. A. c. ROWLEY 1,874,356

QUICK ACTING RELEASE DEVICE FOR CARBON DIOXIDE FIRE SYSTEMS Filed June 11, 1930 Patented Aug. 30, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ARTHUR C. BOWLEY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO GLOBE AUTO- MATIC SPRINKLER COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVAN'IA, A CORPORA- TION OF PENNSYLVANIA QUICK ACTING RELEASE DEVICE FOR CARBON DIOXIDE FIRE SYSTEMS Application filed June 11',

This invention relates to improvements in fire-extinguishing apparatus, and more particularly to improvements in devices adapted to control the passage of a gaseous fire-extinguishing medium, such as carbon dioxide, from the containers in which it is stored within or adjacent to the protected area.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a device of the stated character which shall be eflicient, durable and quick-opening following actuation by suitable release means.

More specifically, the invention constitutes a structural improvement in the device disclosed in my copending application Serial Number 403,233, filed Oct. 29, 1929.

In the attached drawing showing a pretel-red embodiment of the present invention:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of the device;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view, and

Figs. 3, and 4, 5 and 6, are views in perspective of parts of the mechanism.

\Vith reference to the drawing, the release device comprises a casing 1, into the lower end of which is threaded a collar 2 which rotatably supports a member 3. The member 3 has a threaded extension 1 which projects beyond the bottom of the sleeve 2 and receives a bushing 5, this bushing having adjacent the bottom oneor more apertures G and at the bottom a centrally apertured element 7 which is threaded on to the lower ex tremity of the bushing as illustrated. The upper end of the bushing 5 is externally formed in the shape of a nut, and immediately below this nut or head portion, the bushing is externally threaded for attachment of a body member 9. The aforedescribed parts constitute the housing.

lVithin the body member 9 is a seat 12 for the lower end of the bushing 5, and between this seat and the bushing is confined in normal assembly, a thin disk 13 of silver or other suitable material inert to CO which is held in sealing relation with a gasket 11 against the lower open end of the bushing 5 by the cap member 7. As clearly shown, the cap 7 embraces only the outer edge portion of the disk, and of the gasket, so that the latter is 1930. Serial No. 460,509.

permitted to contact directly with the seat 12 of the body member.

Slidable within the bushing 5 is a plunger 1-1, this plunger neatly fitting within the lower open end of the bushing, .and in assembly occupying a position as shown in which the lower end thereof lies flush with the bottom surface of the bushing 5 and in contact with the disk 13 whereby the plunger affords a reinforcing abutment for the central or otherwise unsupported part of the disk extending across the bottom opening of the bushing 5. A stem 15 on the plunger 14.- projects upwardly through a central opening in the member 3 and at the top engages the lower end of a stem 16 which projects through and is slidable in an opening 17 at the top of the casing 1. This opening 17 is formed in a bracket member 18 secured in the upper end of the casing 1, which bracket has means for pivotally securing thereto a lever 19 and a latch element 21 therefor, these parts being shown in perspective in Figs. 3 and 4 respectively. The stem 16 has a shoulder 22 which is adapted to bear against the under sides of the bifurcations of the lever 19; while a spring 23 is confined between the head 20 of the stem 16 .and the bracket 18 and, with the parts in the said position as illustrated, is compressed and thereby exerts a pressure tending to elevate the stem and with it the lever 19, the latter being locked in the stem-depressing position by the latch 21, which as illustrated has at each side a projecting element 24 adapted to overlic the outer ends of the lever and thereby prevent elevation of the latter. The lever 19 may be released by drawing the latch 21 outwardly upon its pivot 25, which may be accomplished through the medium of a lug 26 projecting through a slotted opening in the casing 1. A latch-retaining element 30 is provided at the outer side of the casing 1, this retainer being in the form of a plate held to the container by a thumb nut 27 on a stud 28, release of the thumb nut permitting the plate 26 to he slid upwardly over the lower end of the latch 21 whereby the latter is prevented from moving outwardly to release the lever 19. This plate also serves to retain the casing 1 and collar 2 relatively fixed by interlocking with the tessellated lower flange of the latter. Means is also provided in the form of a resilient wire bale 8, see Figs. 1 and 6, for preventing accidental displacement of the latch 21. This bale is mounted in the depending arm of the bracket 18 and is adapted to engage in a recess 10 in the latch 21 when the latter is in the operative position as shown. This bale 8 does not prevent retraction of the latch to release the valve when this is desired but does immobilize the latch to an extent preventing accidental displacement.

The body 9 has a bottom central passage or port 31 which terminates in the seat 12 and is normally closed by the disk 13 as described. The upper end of the passage 31 is restricted by an inward taper, and it will be noted that the diameter of the terminal end of the passage is smaller than the diameter of the lower end of the disk-reinforcing plunger so that the seat 12 in effect overlaps the joint between the plunger and the inner wall of the bushing 5. This prevents pressure in the passage 31 from forcing the thin disk 13 into the said joint with possible resultant perforatlon at that point. The restriction in the passage 31 also affords a highly desirable rupturing action and makes possible the use of relatively heavy disks with assurance of immediate rupture when the plunger is released. This desirable effect is probably due to the fact that the pressure is concentrated at the center portion of the disk which tends to bow the disk upwardly, the flexing of the disk aiding the shearing action at the confined edge.

Above the seat 12, the body member 9 is provided with a chamber 32, with which the ports 6 of the bushing 5 communicate, and with which also communicates a port 33 in the body member, which port is shown in the present instance as closed by a cap 34. A third port 35 extends from the passage 31 to the exterior of the body member and is normally closed by a frangible disk 36 secured over the outer end of the port 35 by means of a perforated cap 37, said disk being adapted to rupture under predetern'iined pressure within the passage 31 to relieve excessive pressures in the latter.

Within the port 33 is slidably fitted a hollow cylindrical ph'uiger 45, shown in perspective in Fig. 5, this plunger having its outer end 46 closed and being provided with side ports 47 through which, when the cap 34 is removed. a fluid can discharge from the housing chamber 32. The plunger is retained in a retracted position as shown by the cap 34 which bears upon projecting lugs 48 on the plunger. When the cap is removed, however, the plunger may move outwardly until stopped by the shoulder 49 engaging the collar 51 in the casing, the ports 47 thus being carried beyond the outer end of the casing boss 52 so that fluid may freely discharge from the ports. The closed end 46 of the plunger 45 acts as a baffle to deflect the discharge transversely through the oppositely arranged ports 47 thereby reducing the effective reaction forces of the discharging fluid and avoiding destructive strains on the apparatus.

In practice, with the parts assembled and positioned as illustrated, the body member 9 is threaded into a port in a suitable container for carbon dioxide gas or other fire-extinguishing medium of like character. The disk 13 with the backing of the plunger 14 consti tutes a secure closure for the port 31 against the pressure of the gas in the container. The plunger 14 is held seated upon the shoulder 38 of the bushing 5 through the stem 16 and the lever 19, which as previously described engages the shoulder 22 and holds the plunger 14 firmly against the top of the stem 15 of the plunger 14. The lever 19 is held in the locking position by the latch 21, and the lug 26 of this latch may be attached to any suitable release mechanism, preferably in association with a heat-responsive element which insures retraction of the latch 21 under abnormal temperature conditions within the space protected by the apparatus. It will be noted that by reason of the connection through the member 3 between the housing 1 and the bushing 5, the housing is freely adjustable around the axis of the plunger and stems, which facilitates connection of the latch 21 with the actuating mechanism.

Following retraction of the latch 21 and consequent release of the lever 19, the spring 23 acts immediately to force the stem 16 and with it the lever 19 upwardly, the lever pivoting around its pivot pin 39. This upward movement of the stem 16 releases the plunger 14 and permits pressure of the gas within the container to rupture the frangible disk 13, thereby permitting a free flow of the gas through the port 6 into the chamber 32, and from the chamber 32 to the port 33,-

from which the cap 34 has previously been removed and which may or may not be connected with a suitable nozzle or with a pipe system extending to the area to which the gas is to be discharged. In the event that the pressure of the gas within the container becomes excessive before actuation of the release mechanism as described above, the frangible disk 36 affords a relief, this disk being adapted to rupture at a predetermined pressure.

In resetting the apparatus following actuation as described above, the body member 9 is first separated from the bushing 5 to permit replacement of the ruptured disk 13. The parts being re-asscmbled, the plunger 14 is depressed, thereby engaging the top of theplunger stem 15 and being locked in this position through the lever 19 and the latch 21 in obvious manner. In order to insure a return of the lever 19 to the horizontal position upon depression of the stem 16, the hub portion of the lever may be provided with a projecting boss 41 which is engaged by the shoulder flange 22 when the said stem is depressed, the lever 19 thereby being carried downwardly with the stem. The body member 9 may now be secured in a properly charged container. During the various operations of assembly or in transferring the charged container with the valve in position, accidental release may be avoided by the locking plate 26 which is adjusted so as to overlie the lower end of the latch 21 as previously described. Eventually this locking plate 26 is shifted to the position shown in the drawing, the apparatus then being in condition for further operation.

I claim:

1. In a release device of the character set forth, a housing having a passage therethrough, means for retaining a frangible element in position closing said passage, a movable reinforcing member for said frangible element, and means for locking said member in a position abutting said element, said locking means including a latch retractible from the exterior of said housing to release the member, and means manually adjustable into a position preventing said retraction.

2. In a release device of the character set forth, a housing having a passage there through, means for retaining a frangible element in position closing said passage including an element-reinforcing member movable in the housing, a stem operatively associated with said member and projecting through the housing, means in the interior of said housing adapted by engagement with said stem to retain the said member in element-reinforcing position, and interengaging means on said stem and retaining means whereby depression of the stem to move the said member into the element-reinforcing position results automatically in an adjustment of said retaining means into the locking position.

In a release device of the character set forth. a housing comprising a lower body member and an upper body member rotatably connected to said lower member, said connection providing for relative rotation of said members while maintaining a normal relation in the axial direction, closure means in the lower member including an element projecting into the upper body member, and closureretaining means in the upper body member operatively associated with said element and freely movable with respect to the element when the said members are relatively rotated, said retaining means comprising a control element projecting through the upper body member.

4. In a release device of the stated charactor, a housing comprising upper and lower members, a closure element movable longitudinally in said lower housing member, a

stein operatively associated with said closure element and projecting into said upper housing member, means providing for relative rotation of said members about an axis corresponding to the longitudinal axis of said stem while maintaining a normal relation in the axial direction, and closure-retaining elements in the upper housing member operatively associated with said stem, said stem and retaining elements being relatively adjustable about the axis of the stem without affecting their normal operative relation.

5. In a release device of the stated character, a housing comprising upper and lower casing parts, a closure member movable in one of said parts, a stem operatively associated with said member and projecting into the other of said parts, and closure-retaining means in the last-named housing part operatively associated with said stem, together with means affording a relative rotational movement of said parts about an axis corresponding substantially with the axis of said stem while maintaining a normal operative relation between the stem and said retaining means.

6. In a release device of the character set forth, a housing comprising a lower casing member adapted for threaded connection with a container and having a passage therethrough adapted for communication at one end with the interior of said container, means in said lower casing member adapted to close said passage to thereby seal the container, an upper housing member includingretaining elements for said closure means, and means affording an adjustment of said upper member with respect to the lower member without aifecting the relation of said closure with respect to its retaining means, and means projecting from said upper housing member for releasing said retaining means.

7 In a release device of the character set forth, a housing comprising a lower member having a passage therethrough, a sleeve threaded into said member, a frangible element adapted to be retained by said sleeve in a position closing said passage, a plunger operative in said sleeve and adapted to reinforce one side of said frangible element against pressure exerted from the opposite side, an upper housing member rotatably supported on said sleeve, a stem operatively associated with said plunger and projecting into said upper member, and plunger-locking means in said upper member operatively associated with said stem.

8. In a release device of the character set forth, a housing having a discharge port, means for releasably closing said port, a sleeve slidably mounted in said port and terminating at its outer end in transversely directed oppositely arranged openings, said sleeve being adapted when said port is opened to move under impulse of the escaping fluid to a projected position in which said openings lie beyond the sides of said housing whereby unobstructed discharge through said openings is obtained.

ARTHUR O. ROWLEY. 

